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Specials from Sonesta New Orleans

Revisit America’s Greatest City

Edited by Madelyn Miller, the Travellady

“Fall in Love with New Orleans – all over again!”  The city’s major tourist areas – the French Quarter, Garden District and River Walk, to name a few – are open for business. The Museum of Fine Art, D Day Museum, several golf courses, the French Market and the Aquarium of the Americas are all welcoming visitors.

Come back to experience everything that makes the Big Easy so remarkable, from delicious cuisine and great music to world-famous attractions and shopping.  Our Royal or Chateau Sonesta Hotels, both located in the French Quarter, offer cozy rooms and luxurious amenities.

Be part of the rebirth of one of America’s greatest cities and laissez les bon temps rouler!

Royal Sonesta Hotel
Rates from $99
For details, go to: http://www.sonesta.com/neworleans_royal/page.asp?pageid=36263

Chateau Sonesta Hotel
Rates from $89
For details, go to: http://www.sonesta.com/neworleans_chateau/page.asp?pageid=36233

The Big Easy is “Open!”
Music, dining, shopping, sports – it’s all here
For details, go to: http://www.neworleanscvb.com/

French Quarter Treasure Hunt
You may find $10,000 in prizes!
For more details, go to: http://www.sonesta.com/neworleans_royal/page.asp?pageid=36265

FOR  MORE INFORMATION

HELPFUL WEBSITES

www.neworleansonline.com

www.neworleanscvb.com

WHAT I WISH I HAD KNOWN BEFORE I WENT TO NEW ORLEANS

There are two kinds of people who go to New Orleans, those who want to party and those who don’t. If you don’t plan to stay up all night, be sure to express that preference when you check in and request a quiet room, perhaps on a courtyard. Or consider staying outside the quarter if you value a good night’s sleep.

I stayed at a to-be-nameless hotel (not a Sonesta ) in the quarter and called down to the front desk because of all the noise. They were prepared. They sent up earplugs. That was not enough. Two sleeping pills and six hours later, I learned there was a long list of people who wanted to change rooms. I waited (and slept) all day in my room waiting for another room, wanting to be sure not to loose my place on that special list. The helpful front desk person told me that more people than usual had called down to complain the night before.

BEST PLACES TO EAT

This is a list of where I ate. No calorie counts given to defend the innocent. And you can read more about them in my reviews of the individual restaurants.

Restaurant August
(I had to put this at the top of the list, even though officially the name starts with R because it was my very favorite. The rest of the restaurants are listed alphabetically)
301 Tchoupitoulas St at Gravier
504-299-9777
www.rest-august.com/
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/April05/1390RestaurantAugust.htm

Bacco
310 Chartres Street 
504-522-2426
www.bacco.com
Northern Italian fare with a regional twist

Begue’s
300 Bourbon Street
504-553-2278
French and Creole dining in the Royal Sonesta. Lunch dinner and fabulous Sunday champagne brunch.

Brennan’s
417 Royal Street
504-525-9711
The legend continues to impress with French Creole cuisine. Don’t miss the Bananas Foster.

Bambu
In Harrah’s casino
Fun Fusion food. Sushi bar, Chinese and Vietnamese specialties

Cobalt
333 Saint Charles Ave at Perdido
504-565-5595
www.cobaltrestaurant.com
Contemporary Southern Food

Cuvee
322 Magaine Street
504-587-9001
info@restaurantcuvee.com
www.restaurantcuvee.com
Contmeporary Creole-Continental with regional ingredients that reflect the influence of France and Spain on Louisiana foods

Galatoire’s
209 Bourbon Street at Iberville
504-525-2021
www.galatoires.com
A tradition where the waiters have as much local flavor as the menu

Herbsaint
701-St. Charles Ave. at Girod
504-524-4114
www.herbsaint.com
French-American bistro fare

La Côte Brasserie
700 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, LA 70130 (Arts District)
Reservations 504.613.2350
Fax 504.613.2364
www.lacotebrasserie.com
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/April05/1366ChiliChick.htm
Fresh regional seafood with oyster bar

Muriel’s
801 Chartres St. at St. Ann
504-568-1885
www.muriels.com
Contemporary Creole Cuisine

Ralph’s on the Park
900 City Park Avenue at Dumaine Street
504-488-1000
www.ralphsonthepark.com
Locals voted it best new restaurant in 2004

Rene Bistrot
817 Common St at Carondelet
504-412-2580
www.renebistrot.com
Classic French Bistro

Red Fish Grill
115 Bourbon Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
(504) 598-1200
www.redfishgrill.com
Casual New Orleans seafood in a fun atmosphere by restaurateur Ralph Brennan

Upperline
1413 Upperline st at Prytania
504-891-9822
www.upperline.com
Classic New Orleans with a taste of Adventure
Wine Spectator Award of Excellence

MOST LITERARY TIME TO PLAN YOUR VISIT

The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary, March 29 to April 2, 2006. Weather is cool, reception is warm, topic is hot.

BEST FICTIONAL BOOK ABOUT NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANT SCENE

Prime
By Poppy Z. Brite
Three Rivers Press
www.crownpublishing.com

BEST PLACE TO GET ONLINE FOR FREE

201 St. Charles in the food court
Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm

Free internet access at Krystal’s on Bourbon with a $5 purchase

BEST “BLUES” EXPERIENCE

Blue cheese Burger at Rmeoulade’s
309 Bourbon Street

BEST SHOPPING ADVICE

And Madelyn’s favorite storeS
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/May05/1351Iatesomuch.htm

BEST LOCAL PLACE TO SHOP

RHINO
(which stands for right here in New Orleans)
504-523-7945
www.rhinocrafts.com
A non-profit educational organization whose purpose is to expand public knowledge of and stimulate public awareness in contemporary Louisiana fine crafts.

Bywater Art Market
Affordable Local and Regional Art
3rd Saturday of every month
Markley Park—Piety and Royal Street in Bywater  504-944-900

BEST Spas

EarthSavers.
Several locations and all good for you and the environment. My manicure lasted for three weeks—a record for this frequent traveler who is moving luggage constantly and typing on my computer.
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/April05/1353ForgetVoodoo.htm

Belladona
2900 Magazine
504-891-4393
Some of the most creative spa treatments in the world plus a zen retail store. Enjoy tea in the meditative garden. The classiest way to relax with a massage, sauna, hydrotherapy, hot tub and more.

Arie
In the Monteleone Hotel
214 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130-2201
www.hotelmonteleone.com

GREAT GUIDEBOOKS

FEET ON THE STREET
Rambles Around New Orleans
By Roy Blount, Jr.
Crown Journeys
www.randomhouse.com

INSIGHT GUIDES NEW ORLEANS
From Discovery Channel
www.insightguides.com

ACCESS NEW ORLEANS
HarperResource/Access Press
www.harpercollins.com

NEW ORLEANS
EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES
Over 700 pictures
DK PUBLISHING
WWW.dk.com

EATING NEW ORLEANS
From French Quarter Creole Dining to the Perfect Poboy
By Pableaux Johnson
Countryman Press
www.countrymanpress.com

2005 NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANTS
With bonus Nightlife section
ZagatSurvey
www.zagat.com

STORIES IN STONE: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography
Written and photographed by Douglas Keister
Dead men may tell no tales, but their tombstones do—and now there is a book that will help anyone become an expert on just what it is they are trying to tell us. Graveyard tours and funerary architecture are HUGE in New Orleans so you may want to study up.
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
www.gibbs-smith.com

NEW ORLEANS COOKBOOKS

Arnaud’s Restaurant Cookbook
New Orleans Legendary Creole Cuisine
By Kit Wohl
Pelican Publishing Company
www.pelicanpub.com

Uglesich’s
By John Ugleich
Pelican Publishing Company
www.pelicanpub.com

FLAVORS OF LOUISIANNA
AUDUBON PLANATATION COUNTRY COOKBOOK
By Anne Butler
Pelican
www.pelicanpub.com

BEST BOOK FOR MUSIC BACKGROUND

Triksta
Life and death and New Orleans rap
by Nik Cohn
Triksta has already gone to press when Katrina struck. Within a few hours, the world Nik Cohn had lived in and written about was largely destroyed, but its people, for the most part, survivedn
Alfred A. Knopf
www.aaknopf.com

BEST MUSIC TO GET YOU IN THE NEW ORLEANS MOOD

American Blues
Celebrate the Soul and spirt of the blues with some of America’s greatest contemporary blues artists
Putumayo World Music
www.putumayo.com

Mississippi Blues
A musical journey down the Mississippi River with classic blues from Memphis to New Orleans
Putumayo World Music
www.putumayo.com

HELPFUL MAP

MAPQUEST NEW ORLEANS City Map . This large scale detailed street map folds up to 2”x3”

Below please find links to reopened area attractions:

D-Day Museum http://www.ddaymuseum.org/

Louisiana State Museum: http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/

Audubon Zoo: www.auduboninstitute.org (automatically redirects to this site: http://ani.convio.net/site/PageServer)

Ogden Museum of Southern Art: http://www.sonesta.com/neworleans_royal/page.asp?pageid=28174 or www.ogdenmuseum.org

New Orleans renowned food critic Tom Fitzmorris' site listing restaurants open by neighborhood:
http://www.nomenu.com/RestaurantsOpen.html

New Orleans Grayline Tours: http://www.graylineneworleans.com/

My new favorite New Orleans website:  The Magazine Street Merchants Association: http://www.magazinestreet.com/

More information:
I like this one best cause it's "to the point":  New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corporation: www.neworleansonline.com (automatically redirects to: http://www.neworleansonline.com/katrina/index.html)

NOMCVB's Rebirth of New Orleans: http://nomcvb.com/

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